Pardee celebrates history, growth after 60 years

Evelyn Romeo sits in her apartment with a picture of her late husband, Dr. B.J. Romeo, in the background. Dr. Romeo was with Pardee Hospital when it opened in 1953. Evelyn gave tours of the facility on the first day.

Published: Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 9:15 p.m.

Evelyn Romeo, 96, can remember the day Pardee Hospital opened. In the early years of the hospital, which opened in 1953, Romeo served as a member of the Woman’s Auxiliary.

When the doors opened 60 years ago, Romeo and other women were there to meet, greet and take visitors on a tour of the shiny new hospital.

On Saturday, the hospital will celebrate its 60th anniversary with the Diamond Jubilee Gala at 6 p.m. in Blue Ridge Community College’s Technology Education and Development Center.

The gala, which is open to the public, is a fundraiser that includes a silent auction, dinner and live music. The Pardee Foundation will also announce its 10th annual Healthcare Philanthropist of the Year Award.

Romeo led tours when the hospital first opened, but she probably couldn’t give tours of the facility now, she joked.

“I think if I had to go over there now, I’d get lost,” the Lake Pointe Landing resident said with a chuckle.

Romeo, 96, was married to Dr. B.J. Romeo, the first internist at Pardee. The couple gave up a practice in New York to come to Hendersonville and help open the new hospital.

In the first two weeks, there were a few phone calls, she recalled. After those first weeks, they saw some stragglers. But that changed quickly, she said.

“Then all of sudden, boom,” Romeo laughed. “I don’t know where they all came from.”

The early years of Pardee were entirely different from today’s world of medicine. The doctors would do their work, unsure of what their payment would be or if it’d come.

“If they needed (care), they got it,” said Dr. Bill Lampley, a former surgeon at Pardee.

Lampley was one of the original doctors who came from Patton Memorial Hospital on Highland Avenue as things shifted to Pardee. Lampley remembers discharging patients from Patton and readmitting them at the new hospital. His first surgery was a knee operation on a Hendersonville High football player, he said.

In the early days, it wasn’t even a matter of whether or not the doctors were going to be paid; it was a matter of whether or not they’d be paid money.

“I’ve taken apples, chickens, ham and all sorts of things,” Lampley said.

In those days, that wasn’t a big deal.

“All the doctors had that before the Medicare came in,” Dr. Samuel Falvo said. “It was great. We didn’t mind.”

Falvo worked at the hospital for nearly four decades, including a stint as chief of staff in the mid-’70s. He watched as the hospital and the town around it grew by leaps and bounds.

“Things were busier and busier as time went by,” he said.

Patton Hospital could hold up to 26 patients in 17 rooms when it opened in 1913. When Pardee opened 40 years later, it had 70 beds. Today, the hospital is licensed for 222 beds.

The community has played a vital role in Pardee’s emergence in Henderson County. A donation from Ivor Pardee made the new hospital possible. The benefactor donated $100,000 and asked for that number to be matched in fundraising, and Pardee Hospital was born.

Jay Kirby, current president and CEO, said Pardee is “blessed” with the support it receives from the community. Pardee’s history includes a number of people who put their “blood, sweat and tears” on the line for success, he added.

“Clearly this organization is bigger than one person,” he said. “We’re just fortunate to have an organization such as Pardee in this community.”

Romeo is one of many who invested in the hospital in its infancy. She was never an employee, but took part in fundraising activities and other functions of the auxiliary. She served as the organization’s president twice.

She won’t be able to make the gala, but Romeo hasn’t been disappointed in what she has seen at the hospital her husband dedicated his life to.

“When I read what they’re doing, I’m pleased,” she said. “I’ve been real proud of the progress Pardee has made.”

For more information about the gala, call 828-696-4666 or visit pardeehospitalfoundation.org.

<p>Evelyn Romeo, 96, can remember the day Pardee Hospital opened. In the early years of the hospital, which opened in 1953, Romeo served as a member of the Woman's Auxiliary. </p><p>When the doors opened 60 years ago, Romeo and other women were there to meet, greet and take visitors on a tour of the shiny new hospital.</p><p>On Saturday, the hospital will celebrate its 60th anniversary with the Diamond Jubilee Gala at 6 p.m. in Blue Ridge Community College's Technology Education and Development Center. </p><p>The gala, which is open to the public, is a fundraiser that includes a silent auction, dinner and live music. The Pardee Foundation will also announce its 10th annual Healthcare Philanthropist of the Year Award. </p><p>Romeo led tours when the hospital first opened, but she probably couldn't give tours of the facility now, she joked. </p><p>“I think if I had to go over there now, I'd get lost,” the Lake Pointe Landing resident said with a chuckle.</p><p>Romeo, 96, was married to Dr. B.J. Romeo, the first internist at Pardee. The couple gave up a practice in New York to come to Hendersonville and help open the new hospital. </p><p>In the first two weeks, there were a few phone calls, she recalled. After those first weeks, they saw some stragglers. But that changed quickly, she said.</p><p>“Then all of sudden, boom,” Romeo laughed. “I don't know where they all came from.”</p><p>The early years of Pardee were entirely different from today's world of medicine. The doctors would do their work, unsure of what their payment would be or if it'd come.</p><p>“If they needed (care), they got it,” said Dr. Bill Lampley, a former surgeon at Pardee.</p><p>Lampley was one of the original doctors who came from Patton Memorial Hospital on Highland Avenue as things shifted to Pardee. Lampley remembers discharging patients from Patton and readmitting them at the new hospital. His first surgery was a knee operation on a Hendersonville High football player, he said. </p><p>In the early days, it wasn't even a matter of whether or not the doctors were going to be paid; it was a matter of whether or not they'd be paid money. </p><p>“I've taken apples, chickens, ham and all sorts of things,” Lampley said. </p><p>In those days, that wasn't a big deal.</p><p>“All the doctors had that before the Medicare came in,” Dr. Samuel Falvo said. “It was great. We didn't mind.”</p><p>Falvo worked at the hospital for nearly four decades, including a stint as chief of staff in the mid-'70s. He watched as the hospital and the town around it grew by leaps and bounds. </p><p>“Things were busier and busier as time went by,” he said. </p><p>Patton Hospital could hold up to 26 patients in 17 rooms when it opened in 1913. When Pardee opened 40 years later, it had 70 beds. Today, the hospital is licensed for 222 beds. </p><p>“It's been constantly building,” hospital board Chairman Bill Moyer said. “It's been constantly expanding services to meet the needs of the community.”</p><p>The community has played a vital role in Pardee's emergence in Henderson County. A donation from Ivor Pardee made the new hospital possible. The benefactor donated $100,000 and asked for that number to be matched in fundraising, and Pardee Hospital was born. </p><p>Jay Kirby, current president and CEO, said Pardee is “blessed” with the support it receives from the community. Pardee's history includes a number of people who put their “blood, sweat and tears” on the line for success, he added. </p><p>“Clearly this organization is bigger than one person,” he said. “We're just fortunate to have an organization such as Pardee in this community.”</p><p>Romeo is one of many who invested in the hospital in its infancy. She was never an employee, but took part in fundraising activities and other functions of the auxiliary. She served as the organization's president twice. </p><p>She won't be able to make the gala, but Romeo hasn't been disappointed in what she has seen at the hospital her husband dedicated his life to. </p><p>“When I read what they're doing, I'm pleased,” she said. “I've been real proud of the progress Pardee has made.”</p><p>For more information about the gala, call 828-696-4666 or visit pardeehospitalfoundation.org.</p><p>Reach Millwood at 828-694-7881 or at joey.millwood@blueridgenow.com.</p>